About Canada Visa Wait
Canada Visa Wait shows how long Canadian visa, permit, permanent residence and citizenship applications are taking, by country and by application type, in plain language.
Where the numbers come from
Every figure on this site is a processing time published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the federal department that handles these applications. We present IRCC's figures as published, and add charts, comparisons and explanations.
How to read the numbers
Visas and permits from outside Canada. The figure is how long IRCC took to decide 80% of the applications of that type it finished recently. It looks back at recent applications. It is not a promise for a new one.
Permanent residence, citizenship and extensions. The figure is IRCC's estimate for a new application, based on how many people are already waiting and how many decisions IRCC plans to make. For people who already applied, IRCC also estimates how many people are ahead of them and how much time is left.
Decision dates. Where a page says a decision could come "around" a date, that is simply today's date plus IRCC's figure. It is a rough guide, not a prediction for your application.
Independent, and not advice
This site is independent. It is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or IRCC, and it does not give immigration advice. Processing times change every week, and individual applications can take more or less time. Before relying on a date, check IRCC's official processing-times tool. For advice about your own situation, speak to a lawyer or a licensed immigration consultant.
Corrections
If a figure here doesn't match IRCC's tool for the same update, please tell us through the contact form. We correct errors quickly.